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As we all probably know, the soon to be Charlotte Hornets will make the 4th pick in this year's draft. With that said, I would like to present what I think will happen on June 27. Cleveland - Nerlens Noel Orlando - Trey Burke Washington - Otto Porter Charlotte - Ben Mclemore This in my opinion would benefit the Hornets a lot obviously because of the explosiveness and immediate impact Mclemore would bring. He can shoot the three just as good or better than anyone in the draft, and he flies in transition. He had a 42" vertical leap at the combine and showed in his lone season at Kansas that he can finish strong at the rim. While at Kansas, his team ran several plays where Mclemore was given the chance to dunk an alley oop. He has everything we would want in a two guard. Another Possible Situation: Cleveland - Nerlens Noel Orlando - Ben Mclemore Washington - Otto Porter Charlotte - Anthony Bennett Anthony Bennett is a player that has an incredible offensive skill set. He can work in the post, step out for a mid range jumper, and even hit the three. He also plays the pick and roll very well and would work very well with Kemba Walker. I've heard that he needs to work on his defense but clearly, with his athleticism he will blossom into a solid defender. Another guy that I would love to see Charlotte get is Victor Oladipo. He is the best wing defender in the draft and has no ceiling to his athleticism. His pairing with MKG on the wings would be one of the best duos in the league. Oladipo showed that he can be a dependable shooter as well. It's looking like Henderson won't be back for next year so filling the shooting guard position is a priority. Charlotte should draft Mclemore or Bennett, whoever is there for the taking. If neither of the are available, Oladipo is the obvious choice. I don't think drafting a big is the right thing to do in this draft although a lot of people have said that Alex Len would be a good fit in Charlotte and could be the best player out of this draft. The only trade I would like to see is a trade with the Timberwolves Charlotte gets: Derrick Williams, Minnesota's 9th and 26th picks in the first round of this years draft Minnesota gets: Charlotte's 4th pick In this case Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the ideal selection at the ninth pick. He can score from anywhere on the floor and has an explosive side to him. He has a huge range from behind the arc. Derrick Williams can score from anywhere on the floor as well and can defend a 4. He would be a great backup forward for the future. With Wiggins, Parker, Randle, and many other franchise players in next years draft, Charlotte is in a position to make some easy decisions and become a team to fear in years to come. As we all probably know, the soon to be Charlotte Hornets will make the 4th pick in this year's draft. With that said, I would like to present what I think will happen on June 27. Cleveland - Nerlens Noel Orlando - Trey Burke Washington - Otto Porter Charlotte - Ben Mclemore This in my opinion would benefit the Hornets a lot obviously because of the explosiveness and immediate impact Mclemore would bring. He can shoot the three just as good or better than anyone in the draft, and he flies in transition. He had a 42" vertical leap at the combine and showed in his lone season at Kansas that he can finish strong at the rim. While at Kansas, his team ran several plays where Mclemore was given the chance to dunk an alley oop. He has everything we would want in a two guard. Another Possible Situation: Cleveland - Nerlens Noel Orlando - Ben Mclemore Washington - Otto Porter Charlotte - Anthony Bennett Anthony Bennett is a player that has an incredible offensive skill set. He can work in the post, step out for a mid range jumper, and even hit the three. He also plays the pick and roll very well and would work very well with Kemba Walker. I've heard that he needs to work on his defense but clearly, with his athleticism he will blos

RT @nflnetwork: #58. Victor Cruz, WR, @Giants #NFLTop100

RT @nflnetwork: #59. Derrick Johnson, LB, @kcchiefs #NFLTop100

Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions are re-signing Tijuana’s crackerjack super featherweight contender Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs) to a second promotional contract.

And the last photo of the deanvinci painting. I think #Rabbit is the only guy in both the old and new…

Brad Richards has struggled through a nightmare season that has only grown worse in the playoffs. The $60 million center will be a healthy scratch tonight as the Rangers try to stave off elimination as they host Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Bruins. It could signal the end of his Rangers’ career just two seasons into the nine-year deal he signed as the premier unrestricted free agent in 2011. It’s been widely speculated as Richards stumbled through this season that he would be an offseason candidate as one of two amnesty buyouts the Rangers are allowed under the new collective bargaining agreement. “I don’t know if surprised is the right word for it,” said Richards, who turned 33 on May 2 and is still owed $36 million through 2020. “I’m disappointed.” Relegated to the fourth line, though he was still seeing ample time on a power play that comes into tonight’s game 2 for 38 in the playoffs, Richards has one goal and no assists in 10 postseason games as his playing time has steadily decreased. He logged just 8:10 with one shot and was a minus-1 in the Rangers’ 2-1 loss in Game 3 on Tuesday. The 8:10 that Richards played represented the least amount of ice time he had ever received in 93 career postseason games. Prior to this year’s playoffs, Richards had never played fewer than 14 minutes. He had not played more than 12:57 in his last five games and had played fewer than 10 minutes twice. Asked after the Rangers’ optional morning skate on Thursday whether it was hard for him to be effective in a fourth-line role, Richards simply said, “Yes.” This marks the first time Richards, who had 11 goals and 23 assists in 46 regular-season games, has been a healthy scratch under Tortorella. Tortorella coached Richards from 2001-08 in Tampa Bay and the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with Richards being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason MVP Richards said Tortorella called him this morning at home with the news. “Nothing’s over,” Richards said. “Work harder and try my best to never let it happen again. “It’s all tough,” Richards added when asked whether it was tougher to sit out with the Rangers on the brink of elimination. It was not clear who would replace Richards in the lineup, though Darroll Powe, who has been out since Game 3 of the first round against the Capitals, said he would not be in the lineup. Rookie Chris Kreider, Richards’ linemate, will apparently play after being hit in the forehead by Tyler Seguin’s stick blade in Game 3. But Arron Asham, who completed the fourth-line trio, said this morning he wasn’t sure if he would be in the lineup. Veteran minor-leaguers Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley, who have both been skating with the Rangers’ practice squad of Connecticut (AHL) call-ups, both participated in the morning skate with the Rangers. On Saturday in Boston, Tortorella made a general comment about the need for older veterans to be on the ice more in practice, not less and to prepare harder during the offseason. Tortorella never mentioned Richards by name. However, Richards was involved in the NHL Players Association negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement during the lockout and also spent much of the lockout in New York helping with post-Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. “You look right through the league, the guys that did go and play, it certainly benefited them,” Tortorella said of NHL players going overseas to play during the lockout. “Some guys that didn’t go and play it hasn’t affected them at all. But some guys that didn’t go and play it has affected them. I think older players should have played. I think older players, even when it’s not a lockout need to do even more as far as conditioning as far as being on the ice. Some guys feel because they’re veteran and they’re up in

With D Anton Stralman not on ice for either today’s optional morning skate or Wednesday’s practice, it’s a fair bet he won’t be in the lineup for tonight’s game. Roman Hamrlik, who has been a healthy scratch for 23 straight games dating to a 4-2 win over the Jets on April 1, was the first defenseman off the ice from the group of replacement candidates that also included Matt Gilroy and Marc Staal. None, of course, would reveal who was in the lineup, unlike C Brad Richards, who acknowledged he wasn’t in the lineup. However, while Staal said the past two days have been better as far as his blurred vision and altered depth perception, it didn’t sound like he was ready to go. Gilroy has played one game since March 12 (on April 25) and just three times since Feb. 26. “I’ve got to move my feet and play simple, nothing fancy,” Hamrlik, 39, said when asked what the keys would be if he does play. “I haven’t played for a long time. I’ve got to keep the shifts really short. I know I didn’t play for a long time but I’ve been in the league for a long time. I should know what to do and how to do my best.” Hamrlik played just 12 scoreless regular-season games for the Rangers after being claimed off waivers from the Capitals on March 6. Meanwhile, Staal reported some progress in dealing with his issues stemming from being hit by a puck near the right eye on March 5. Since the injury, has played in just Game 3 of the first-round series against the Capitals. “That week after the game I didn’t play [Game 4 against the Capitals], I had some ups and downs and I took a few days off to let things settle down,” Staal said. “The last two days have been better so we’ll go from there. “It’s worse to sit and watch than it is to deal with the eye,” Staal added. ====================================================== Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AGrossRecord Follow the Record Sports Staff at twitter.com/TheRecordSports

The Rangers will try to keep their season alive not with Brad Richards and Arron Asham in the lineup, but with Micheal Haley and Kris Newbury. Not with an injured Anton Stralman on defense, but aging veteran Roman Hamrlik, who has not played since April 1. Hamrlik for Stralman aside - Hamrlik, to me, is a better choice than Matt Gilroy here with Marc Staal unavailable - I don’t see how this is a better lineup even given Richards’ struggles. But maybe it’s not about the best lineup. Maybe it’s about a wake-up jolt to a Rangers’ team in danger of being on summer vacation in a few hours. One other notable lineup change: rookie Chris Kreider has been elevated to C Derick Brassard’s second line with Rick Nash on the right. “After the Game 3, everyone was down, everyone was pretty disappointed about the loss,” Brassard said. “We set our mind to make it 2-1 instead of 3-0. I know it looks hard to come back from 3-0. I think it’s possible. You take one game at a time. For us it’s do or die, an elimination game. Maybe, sometimes, when you’re thinking too much and gripping your stick and your back is against wall, sometimes you let yourself loose and maybe it’s a good thing for the team.” Here’s some history: The Rangers have trailed a best-of-seven series 3-0 10 times in franchise history. Six times, the Rangers have been swept. Three times, the Rangers have lost the series in five games. The other time, in the first round of the 1939 playoffs against the Bruins, the Rangers forced Game 7 before losing in triple overtime. The Rangers were last swept in the first round of the 2006 playoffs by the Devils. The last time they faced a 3-0 deficit was to the Penguins in 2008. The Rangers won Game 4 at home but lost the series in five. “The mindset of anything coming to end is nowhere on anyone’s radar,” D John Moore said. “All we need to do is win one game and get it back to Boston.” Keys to Game 4: 1. The small picture: The Rangers must do something only three teams in NHL history have accomplished by rallying from a 3-0 series deficit. So, while it’s totally clichéd, they really must only think of tonight’s game, even just starting with the first period, the first shift. Rallying from a 3-0 series deficit is a monumental task. Winning one game shouldn’t be. 2. Puck possession: Everything the Rangers want to accomplish stems from holding on to the puck and forcing the Bruins to play defense. It starts with winning faceoffs – the Rangers went just 21 of 55 (38 percent) in Game 3 – and continues by getting pucks in deep and then playing in the Bruins’ zone by establishing a forecheck. 3. The power play: Boy, this has become repetitive. The Rangers are now 2 for 38 on the power play in the postseason, without a goal in their last 21 attempts and 0 for 10 against the Bruins. The first trick is to keep the puck in the Bruins’ zone while on the man advantage. Then, don’t worry about being cute. Just shoot away and try to pound in a rebound. Ugly goals are just as good-looking as pretty ones “I think it’s got something to do with the whole game,” RW Mats Zuccarello said when asked whether going and failing on the power play saps momentum from the Rangers. “We don’t get into the flow, we don’t get into the rhythm and it’s just the power play and some of our five on five too. But we’ve got to win one game. Now is not the time to think in negative thoughts and see what’s wrong.” As for the lack of a consistent or effective forecheck in the series, D Ryan McDonagh said, ““You’ve got to give them some credit. They’ve got some big defensemen and they’re able to get back there and retrieve the puck. I thought at times we had the puck on our stick and maybe just got a little bit impatient. You see them, they’re pretty good at waiting for help, wai

Vogel to use zone next year to prep for playoffs

The San Francisco 49ers made two more rookie contracts official, announcing that DL Cornellius Carradine and TE Vance McDonald signed their four year contracts. Adam Caplan reported the Carradine signing earlier this afternoon, while the 49ers broke the Vance McDonald news. The McDonald contract is likely worth approximately $3.6 million overall, and will include a signing bonus just a shade under $1 million. This leaves the 49ers with only Eric Reid, Corey Lemonier and Marcus Lattimore unsigned. More McDonald: Scouting report Off the field Medical report Press conference transcript McDonald will be competing against Garrett Celek and Cameron Morrah to fill the role left vacant by the departure of Delanie Walker. This was already an important role in the 49ers offense, and it becomes that much more important with the loss of Michael Crabtree. The 49ers will need to find offense wherever they can get it, and the second tight end will see plenty of playing time. McDonald has experience playing out of a variety of spots on and off the line, so his versatility will come in handy. He will need to show blocking skills, in part because it is an important aspect of the tight end role, but also more so with the loss of Crabtree, who is a phenomenal blocker. The wide receivers are going to be expected to step up this year, but McDonald will get his own opportunity to be a big contributor.